The Niger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Mustapha Abdulsalam, have disagreed on zoning of party offices in the state.
While Aliyu said zoning remains sacrosanct, especially for the 2015 elections, Abdulsalam said it would lead to the destruction of the party and has vowed to contest the governorship primaries of the party despite the fact that it is not zoned to his area.
Aliyu, on Wednesday, asserted that the state will not rescind the agreement reached by the three senatorial zones in the state for the sake of equity, justice and fair play.
He insisted that the arrangement has worked so well and has been of immense benefit to the state, hence it would be maintained, even if the formula has been discarded at the federal level and in some states in the country.
Aliyu, who stated this at the Eid-el-Kabir Mini Durbar and traditional Sallah homage by the Emir of Minna, organised by the state’s Ministry of Tourism, alleged that some individuals are deliberately out to dislodge the zoning formula after benefiting already from it, using sentiments to confuse the people.
Aliyu was obviously reacting to an indication of intent by Abdulsalam from Zone ‘A’, who insisted he will contest the governorship seat, despite the fact that the state party leadership had zone it to zone ‘C’.
It would be recalled that Zone ‘A’ has already held the position between 1999 and 2007, Zone ‘B’ that produced Aliyu from 2007 till date, while Zone ‘C’ is expected to have its turn from 2015.
Insisting, Aliyu said: “I urge for peace.
“I want to say on the zoning that, if other states say they have dropped the zoning formula, we in Niger State have not.
“We noticed that some people are trying to destabilize the zoning arrangement using religion and tribal sentiments.
“It is wrong.
“We must stop this politics of religion and tribal sentiments.
“Zoning is working well in Niger State.”
The governor urged the people not to be afraid of the forthcoming National Conference, saying the conference would not lead to the disintegration of nation, but it would afford the nation the opportunity to discuss issues that will strengthen it towards the path of growth.
He added: “The President has constituted the national conference committee and the people are beginning to fear that the meeting will lead to the breakage of the country.
“I want to say that nobody will break this nation.
“When the time comes, as a region, we must come together to take a position on things about the northern region, especially with our region wallowing in poverty.”
Earlier, the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruq Bahago, had called on Nigerians at all levels to continue to pray for the peace and unity of the country for sustainable growth and development in all areas.
Bahago added that at every opportunity, he never fails to educate the people of his domain on the need to maintain peace by peacefully co-existing with one another.
He also thanked Aliyu for the assistance he gives to the Emirate.
However, the zoning formula in the Niger State PDP may have suffered a setback as Abdulsalam, a former governorship candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party from Lapai, under Zone ‘A’, has insisted on joining the governorship race.
It will be recalled that based on a gentleman’s agreement that the seat should be rotated among the three senatorial districts in 1999, Zone ‘A’ produced Engr. Abdullahi Kure, followed by Zone ‘B’ from where Aliyu emerged while Zone ‘C’ should produce the governor in 2015.
Abdulsalam, who made the disclosure on Wednesday in Minna, the state capital, while inaugurating his Advisory Stakeholders Committee from the eight local governments that make up Zone ‘A’, said when the time comes, he will contest, even though the seat has been zoned to Zone ‘C’.
According to him: “I know that my intentions to vie for the seat may cause chaos in the state because the zoning formula in operation in the state is not in the nation’s constitution or that of the ruling PDP at national level and should therefore, be discarded.
“Irrespective of the zoning arrangement, I am coming out for the party’s primary.
“I am in the race to serve the people of Niger State.
“After all, the so-called zoning or gentleman arrangement was not followed by the national body of the party.”
Abdulsalam also faulted the zoning of the governorship slot by the state party’s leadership to Zone ‘C’, which he claimed has only 20 per cent PDP membership from the senatorial district.
He said: “Imagine, the only senator from the zone is from the All Progressive Congress and sixty per cent of those representing the zone in both the House of Representatives as well as the state House of Assembly are all from the opposition parties.
“Yet, the party is insisting on zoning the seat to the senatorial district that has just about 20 per cent PDP members.”
The medical doctor, who is taking a shot at the gubernatorial seat for the third time, argued that based on this submission, the state PDP leadership should allow those aspiring for the seat to participate in the primary without any restriction as a result of the alleged zoning.
The Advisory Committee Stakeholders, drawn from the all the eight local government areas that make up Zone ‘A’, were given the mandate to go to the other two zones and LGAs to sell the candidature of Abdulsalam ahead of the primary elections.
It would be recalled that the state PDP Secretary, Alhaji Aminu Yusuf, had insisted that the zoning agreement adopted by the party in 1999 still stands, despite agitation by some people to drop the arrangement.
Yusuf during an interview said the other two zones had benefitted from the policy, while Zone ‘C’ is the next one, adding: “Even if the zone presents 20 candidates for the election, it is its turn.”
Also in view of the arrangement, Aliyu during a courtesy visit by PDP members from Wushishi Local Government Area said three persons had approached him on their intention to run for the governorship seat and that they all hail from Zone ‘C’.
The three include the state Deputy Governor, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto.
Others are the state Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Muazu Bawa, and the incumbent chairman of Wushishi Local Government Area, Alhaji Saidu Abubakar.
Aliyu also made it clear that justice, equity and fair play would be the watch word in selecting the party’s’ standard bearer, adding that the party is one in the state, hence anyone caught trying to cause confusion will be treated as an outcast.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
